Antibiotic free or reduced milk production in organic dairy farms

Location of project activities

Switzerland

Objective of the project

Mastitis is one of the most common diseases in dairy cows. In the last years huge amounts of antibiotics have been applied to treat sick animals. Nevertheless, Mastitis is still one major reason for culling which can cause extensive economic losses for farmers. The Organic Regulation requires livestock farmers to use fewer antibiotics as well as to comply with prolonged withdrawal periods and certain limitations regarding antibiotic therapies. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of antibiotics is used in organic dairy farming as most farmers and veterinarians do not have the knowledge to treat this infectious disease with alternative medicines.

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Main outcomes and recommendations of the project

The FiBL project “pro-Q” conducted more than 140 on-farm trials and confirmed the possibility to reduce antibiotic treatment of mastitis in dairy cows by more than 30%. About 13% of the farms were able to treat Mastitis without using any antibiotics. This significant reduction was achieved through a combination of preventative measures and the introduction of a homeopathic therapy system. The results clearly show that it is possible to reduce antibiotic treatment on dairy farms without having adverse effects on milk quality or animal health and lifetime expectancy. A follow-up project conducted mainly on conventional farms confirmed the economic benefits of reduced antibiotics treatment for Mastitis.

Innovation scale and stage

In a new project starting in autumn 2017 about 30 organic dairy farmers will shift to antibiotic free milk production. A focus will be on the education of the involved farmers in so-called “farmer field schools” in order to pass on the acquired knowledge, to communicate consumer expectations, as well as to convince less innovative farmers to apply alternative medication for Mastitis treatment.

The innovation serves advisory services and in this way benefits farmers. By communicating the knowledge and by supporting the innovation’s implementation more farmers can reduce their antibiotic inputs and enhance the viability of their farms while aligning their farm profile more with consumers’ preferences.

Funding source

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